Silent Hill: Rebirth
by Koszmar
Summary: A brother and sister find themselves inexplicably drawn into the hellish realms of Silent Hill. Will the past be the death of them, or will they find a light at the end of this dark tunnel? Rated for violence and language. - To be continued one day; heavy edits also required.
1. Lost

**Silent Hill - Rebirth**

**Chapter One**

**Sunday, November 8th**

The scenery drifting by on both sides of the road was drab, gray, and lifeless. Of course, things usually were this time of year anyway, but still, Nathan didn't have to like it. His light brown eyes, filled with boredom from the hours of unentertaining travel time, peered out the car window as his older sister sped them along a rather deserted stretch of old highway. He tried to ignore the fact that he could see his breath coming out in small plumes, but the shivers that kept creeping up his spine were making it hard to pretend that it wasn't negative forty degrees in the car. Stealing a glance over at his sister, Nathan fought the urge to throw something at her. She seemed oblivious to the freezing temperature and in fact, looked positively comfortable. She was more than likely doing in on purpose, he would have bet his Red Sox baseball (signed by the whole team) on it. Unable to take another hour of freezing hell he frowned and barked,

"Are you done freezing my dick off, Bridge, or should I start saving now for reattachment surgery?"

Bridgette, or more fondly known as Bridge to friends and family, looked away from the road for a moment to find the tormented face of her younger brother. His nose was tinged red, as were his cheeks and his mouth was curled into a frown of discomfort. Unable to stop herself, she burst into a fit of giggles at both the sight and his words. Nathan didn't find it very amusing and deepened his scowl to show so.

"It isn't funny dammit, I'm cold as hell! What is it with you pregnant chicks and heat flashes huh? Why not just go stay in the arctic circle instead?"

Her apology came out broken as she tried to get her laughter under control. "I'm so sorry, Nate… I didn't…even realize…it was cold in here at all, you should have…have said something earlier!"

"Yeah, well, I didn't want you getting too hot or nothin'…" he grumbled while reaching forward to turn the heater back on, his expression a picture of instant relief as a blast of hot air hit him in the face.

With a fond smile on her lips, Bridgette turned her attention back to the road. She really did love her younger brother and he had been more than supportive during her pregnancy, more than she deserved if she was honest with herself. At the thought of her maternity, one of her hands slid down to caress her bulging stomach. It was an unconscious habit she'd developed soon after everything in her life had fallen apart, a habit that gave comfort through the whole ordeal that now had her driving half way across the country.

Up until three months ago her life had been going according to plan. She'd had a charming fiancé, a child on the way, a great job and a prospective house that they were looking to buy. Granted she was only twenty-three, but Bridgette had always been the type of girl who looked forward to being a mother and a housewife, and three months ago that dream had been within her grasp. Then enter the long lost ex girlfriend who was the love of her Prince Charming's life. Apparently the woman had decided that being independent and alone wasn't as great as she had hoped, and after hearing that, Bridgette's fiancé had vanished in the middle of the night with his old girlfriend. He was kind enough though, to leave behind five hundred dollars and a note saying she should get an abortion and move on. Bridgette still had the note, and whenever she felt the need to get angry again she would pull it out and remind herself that there was no such thing as the perfect life.

She had never even once considered having an abortion, even if it had been possible after six months of pregnancy. It wasn't that she thought God would punish her if she did it because Bridgette didn't even believe in God, but she still felt that it would be the wrong move. She knew in her heart that if she had gone through with it she would, for the rest of her life, think about the child she never had… So she blew all the money on baby supplies and tried to keep her life in some semblance of order for her future child. Unfortunately, she was unable to keep her job for much longer after that due to her problematic pregnancy. She often had to call out, and she'd made more hospital visits in the past five months than she had in her entire life before then. Jobless, she was unable to keep paying rent and any idea of a future house crumbled up into a little wad of broken dreams and flushed itself right down the metaphorical-toilet.

If it hadn't been for her brother she would have lost the apartment a month ago, but he had come to her rescue and had held her head above the ever-rising tide of misfortune. After helping her tie up some loose ends, he said that coming home would be the best thing to do, and so that was what they were doing…going home.

Sparing a quick glance at Nathan, Bridgette smiled again. He'd grown so much since she left home and it was still hard taking in all the changes. He was twenty-one, tall, handsome, and had a scruffy beard coming in that could either have been intentional or the product of laziness; she'd hazard to guess the latter. His dishwater blonde hair matched hers, and they had the same pale eyes, but that was where the similarities ended. Unlike Nathan, Bridgette really hadn't gotten much of their father's good looks. She took mostly after their mother who was rather short and plump, though always a pleasure to be around. Bridgette too, was short and a little overweight, though the pregnancy did make it worse, and her most redeeming qualities were in her personality. Just like her mother she was far too friendly, and both women had a natural way of making everyone feel at ease around them.

Bridgette wondered if she would ever find a man like her father; a man who liked her for her personality, who loved her for who she was not how she looked, but did those even exist anymore? Having successfully depressed herself, she sighed and concentrated on the road, trying to leave her thoughts on the trail behind. They still had hours to drive till they reached Pennsylvania, though the rumbling in her stomach suggested another hour delay for a short pit stop.

"Are you hungry or anything?" Bridgette ventured, hoping for a positive answer.

"Hmm…yeah, I could eat. Where'd you have in mind?"

"Anything at the next stop really," she said with a smile, "You have any suggestions?"

"As long as it serves something with meat, I'll be ok."

Happy with the knowledge that food would come soon, Bridgette kept an eye out for any road signs that signaled towards restaurants and gas stations. After five minutes or so she spotted a sign for the town of Brahms. It didn't specify if food or gas was available but she was pretty sure that _something_ would be there so she waited for the exit then turned in.

It was just a little after noon when the two siblings finished filling both their stomachs and the car. They pulled out of Brahms eager to get home and refreshed from the quick stop. Nathan was driving now, so Bridgette reclined the seat back and relaxed, thoughts of her parents and her future daughter filling her with warm reassurance and sending her off into a light sleep.

It didn't seem like more than ten or so minutes passed before Nathan shook her shoulder and jolted her out of a dream. Her heart slammed against her ribcage, and as Bridgette clutched her chest she frowned and looked at her brother, "God, what's with the rude awaking?"

"Well, two reasons actually," he began with a curious look in his eyes, "First off, you were whimpering and throwing punching at the air in your sleep and I really wasn't in the mood to get slugged on accident, second, you have _got_ to take a look at this…"

He motioned towards the front windshield drawing his sister's gaze forward. Looking around, Bridgette's frown remained stationary on her face. When they left Brahms the sky had been clear and cold but now they were enveloped with a thick fog and a gentle snow. She couldn't see past maybe six or seven feet ahead.

"When did this happen?"

"That's the freaky part, a couple a minutes ago there wasn't a cloud in the sky, then boom; I'm driving through pea-fucking-soup."

"Well…where are we?"

"Dunno, we just passed a sign for Silent Hills or something like that, but you were only out for thirty minutes or so, so we ain't that far from the last town."

"You ok to drive in this?" Bridgette asked with concern, her own ability to drive in the fog questionable.

"Yeah, I'm good, just thought you outta see the freak weather too. Go ahead and get some more sleep though."

Trying to ignore the anxious feeling building in her stomach, Bridgette nodded and leaned back again without another word. It was strange…she trusted her brother's driving implicitly, so she knew the nervous tension wasn't from him navigating them through this weather, but she could come up with no other reason for the odd feelings. Deciding that it was the pregnancy making her more worried than she normally would be, Bridgette closed her eyes and tried to dose off…

_The strange symbol was painted on the bathroom mirror with gaudy red lipstick, florescent in the dim lighting. It didn't mean anything to her but still inspired unease as she stared at it, trying to discern its meaning. Who had put it there? Why? The drawing, foreign and sinister, seemed to shimmer on the mirror and come alive; it began to glow and pulse, reminding Bridgette of a heartbeat. She couldn't look away as the image reached out to her, calling her name without words and filling her with a fear she couldn't break away from. Staring at the mirror, Bridgette could see beyond the lipstick to the reflection of the bathroom, and she whimpered at the horrifying sight. _

_From beneath the wooden stalls opposite the mirrors, blood began to seep out from under them, flowing across the grime covered tiles on the floor like a sentient river. It spread towards her at a languid pace and Bridgette tried to back away, only to find she was paralyzed. Her body wouldn't move, leaving her to stare in wide-eyed horror as the blood crept nearer, threatening to touch her and contaminate her with its taint. Eyes locked onto the river of red, Bridgette could only listen as the stall door began to inch open and…_

"Bridgette!" a voice called while a rough hand shook her, "Wake up!"

Disoriented from the abrupt awakening, Bridgette gasped as she tore open her eyes, her nightmare now nothing more than a black fog of fear in her memory. Her heart still raced as Nathan pulled his hand away, and it took her several seconds to realize where she was, and who had woken her. Sitting up, she took a brief look around before asking, "Why'd you wake me up again?" her irritated mood obvious in her tone.

They were stopped on the side of the road and were still surrounded by the thick, 'pea-fucking-soup' fog, that her brother had awakened her for before. Bridgette watched a few small snowflakes fall lazily to the window as her brother began to speak, his voice low, and laced with something she could only define as panic, though she was certain he'd never spoken that way in the past.

"I haven't passed any signs or exits or cars or houses or even fuckin' road kill for three hours… I think we're lost, but I have no goddamn clue how that could be since I haven't left this stupid ass road once."

Bridgette brought her chair into an upright position again and turned to Nathan. He looked very worried, an emotion that generally never reached his face at all, and that alone bothered her. Her brother was always level headed and stayed calm in every situation they'd ever been in; he was a steady rock, so seeing him shaken up over something as simple as this was unnerving. Deciding that being the 'big sister' in this situation was the best idea for now, Bridgette gave him a reassuring smile, and unbuckled her seatbelt.

"Come on, switch me places. We'll just turn around and head back to town; I'm sure mom and dad won't mind if we're a little late cause of bad weather."

This was not the answer Nathan wanted, and instead of unbuckling his own seatbelt his frown deepened. "Didn't you hear me?" he started levelly, trying to keep from yelling as he explained the situation, "I said we haven't passed a road sign, a car or even an exit in three goddamn hours; I haven't seen any birds or people or any signs of fucking life and it has nothing to do with the god forsaken weather Bridgette!"

His voice had risen during the entire statement until the last word hung uncomfortably high in the air. Trying to stay calm herself, Bridgette couldn't keep her smile anymore though she still managed to keep her voice cool and collected, "I understand what you're saying, but getting upset isn't going to make a sign appear. Now if you don't want to turn around and try to backtrack, what is it you _would_ like to do?"

She knew that there wasn't much Nathan could use to argue with, so she remained quiet as he mulled in silence over their limited options. She knew he'd have to give in eventually; it was only a matter of time and pride now, and she had plenty of time to wait out his pride. A few minutes passed without another word spoken, then without warning Nathan unbuckled his seatbelt and climbed out of the car with all the grace of a pouting five year old. Hiding her triumphant grin, Bridgette did the same, only with a bit more finesse, and switched seats with him.

They didn't speak to one another as she started the car and turned to go the other direction, and the silence that filled the space around them was heavy with anxiety. After thirty or so minutes of the nerve-wracking stillness, Nathan could take no more. He reached forward and turned on the radio, hopeful that he could find anything to fill the void between him and his sister and ease the embarrassment he still felt at being so irrational. He knew Bridgette was probably right, and that he'd panicked for no reason at all, but even thinking that, he couldn't shake the cold fear hiding in his chest.

Nathan pushed at the buttons on the radio, each new station bringing nothing but white noise. Not even the hint of music or a talk show came through and after scanning through all the choices Nathan let out a frustrated sigh as he switched the radio off again. It figured. He crossed his arms and looked out the window, in no better a mood than his sister. Bridgette kept her gaze trained on the road, keeping an eye out for anything at all, but she was beginning to find that Nathan had been right. There was nothing but the fog to keep them company…

Letting out a small sigh, Bridgette continued to look desperately for some sort of sign that they weren't the last two humans left on planet earth, but after three hours of resolute silence and no signs of life, she was starting to feel her brother's angst. She tried to stay optimistic, "Well we should almost be back to Brahms right? Maybe ten minutes or so, you think?"

"Yeah, I guess that's about right…"

For the next hour both siblings were leaning forward and keeping their eyes peeled for the exit that never came. The Silent Hill sign and exit came and went, but Brahms never did even though it couldn't have been more than thirty minutes away. Now concerned with the surreal state of affairs, Bridgette pulled to the side and slowed to a stop. Neither of them wanted to believe the situation, and both hoped that it was just silly paranoia and bad weather skewing their judgment.

"Well…" Bridgette breathed, "We could try stopping in Silent Hill and maybe get…directions or something?"

Nathan didn't say anything at first, and as the silence stretched, Bridgette began to feel a lot worse. She was about to suggest calling someone on her cell when Nathan gave her a quiet, "Alright, let's get going then."

She gave a sigh of relief. Honestly, who would they call anyway? She could hear it now, 'Yes, hello, 911? Umm, my brother and I are lost in the fog, can you come get us? I don't know really, we're somewhere between Brahms and Silent Hill, I think.'… Oh yeah, that would go over real well. So Bridgette started the car and headed towards the only town she could. The sign soon came into sight, and once the exit showed up they turned onto it.

"Hey Bridge…"

"Yeah?" she asked without looking over to him.

"Why's it still light out?"

Bridgette's eyes fell down to the car clock. Eight o'clock was lit up with florescent green letters and the time felt correct, but outside the car, beyond the fog covering, the sun must have still been up. The day was still just as bright as it had been that morning even though it should have been pitch black by now… Her eyes strayed to the gas meter then and when she noticed that they were still almost at a full tank a shudder ran through her body and she felt sick with apprehension. She chose not to mention this extra oddity to her already shaken brother, and honestly she wasn't sure she could have even found the strength to speak at that moment. She left his question unanswered as they continued down the empty road to Silent Hill.


	2. A Seperate Place

**Silent Hill - Rebirth**

**Chapter Two**

The road to Silent Hill was long, lonely and winding. Tall trees loomed on both sides of the narrow street, and it was difficult for Bridgette to not let her imagination run wild given the current circumstances. She could imagine being trapped on this road forever, lost in the fog and the snow with nothing but the trees to see for the rest of her life. This was the only exit they could find, but what if the town never came? What if they were lost forever? Bridgette's heart was pounding to a forlorn beat inside her ribcage, expressing all of her unspoken fears. With the car silent, she could hear her brother's rabid breathing, and for some reason it gave her a small amount of much needed comfort. She wondered what she would be doing if she had been alone on this trip. Would she have continued forward for hours on end, on and on until her gas ran out? What would have happened then? Or would she simply have driven on forever with a never-ending tank of gas? An icy hand slid down her spine as she thought about it a bit longer…

With her thoughts already on the dark side Bridgette watched, mesmerized, as a dark shape began to rise in front of her old Volvo through the fog. It looked like a gaping maw ready to devour them in one bite, and it took little imagination to give the open mouth an equally terrifying body; one with large claws and scales and blood red eyes. But as the towering shape turned into a tunnel, the breath that Bridgette had been holding expelled itself with a relieved sigh and she felt abashed for imaging some fire breathing dragon eating them alive. As soon as the tunnel swallowed the car and they were doused in total darkness, Bridgette turned on her headlights and slowed the car. The simple fact that they had found something other than an empty road eased a lot of fears that she hadn't even known existed in her and the drive through the tunnel was a pleasant one. They broke out of the darkness a few minutes later and it wasn't long before a weathered old sign came into sight through the fog, welcoming them to the town of Silent Hill. Bridgette could hear her brother relax, and that in turn made her feel less tense as well. Maybe they really had just been too stressed and missed the exit; maybe the car's gas meter was broken; maybe this really was just weird weather…

With those thoughts in mind she felt a smile hiding behind her lips, and when a couple of small buildings appeared to her right, the hidden smile leaped out and beamed with reassurance at Nathan. He grinned in return as they pulled into the parking lot of a small rest area. Eager to find another person, Nathan began pulling on his jacket and hat before the car even came to a stop, "I'm gonna have a quick look around and see if there's anyone here, just wait in the car."

Bridgette nodded and watched as her brother slipped out of the car and into the cold, his jacket only buttoned up halfway and his hat lopsided. She felt positive that he would find somebody and that they would be back on their way in no time with a good map and plenty of jokes about how easily they were freaked out. As he disappeared in the stagnant fog she rubbed her stomach for a few moments then put her own jacket on, deciding to get some fresh air while she waited for him. After zipping up she stepped outside and shivered as the cold air kissed along the back of her neck sending dozens of little chills down her skin. Pulling her coat tight around her body, Bridgette walked towards the wooden railing that blocked off the area in front of her. As she gazed out at the fog, she caught the faint sound of water lapping against a shore. With the fog as thick as it was though, she couldn't tell if there was a lake beyond here or not; still she felt it safe to assume that there was one, not only because of the sound, but also because of the nearby sign that read 'Toluca Lake'.

"Bet it's nicer in the summer…"

She stood there for a while just enjoying the cold air and the distant sounds of water, but as the minutes began to pass and her nose began to turn red, she started to feel the fingers of worry and panic creeping into her mind. She couldn't hear any cars, people, birds or other animals, and for a moment she felt afraid that Nathan wouldn't come back at all. Stepping away from the railing she looked off in the direction her brother had gone and wondered if she should chase after him or not. A quick visual image of him laughing at her though slowed her worry and Bridgette decided to wait a few more minutes before starting a search party.

With her mind working feverishly to dispel any unnecessary paranoia, she climbed back into the car, this time in the passenger seat, and crossed her arms as she stared out the window, her eyes searching the murk for her brother. It wasn't long before Bridgette was quite relieved to see his shadowy form emerge from the fog. As he got back into the car she leaned forward in anticipation, but the look on his face promised anything but happy news.

"Well?" she demanded, unable to wait any longer.

"Nothing. There's nobody here at all."

"You checked in all the buildings?"

Nathan shot an indignant look, "No, I just stood there with my thumb up my ass- yes I checked all the buildings; they'll all either empty or fuckin' locked."

A bit frustrated, but not entirely without hope, Bridgette sat back and sighed, "Well, let's just keep going up the road then; maybe they just closed the rest stop cause of the weather or something. I've gotta pee first though, did you see a bathroom anywhere?"

"There's one to the right."

Bridgette nodded and slid back out the car while her brother started the engine with a solemn look on his face, obviously not as optimistic as she was about the situation. She walked with quick steps and a small yellow building soon came into sight with two signs discerned the male entrance from the female. Stepping inside, Bridgette moaned in disgust as the smell of old urine and grime greeted her nose. Trying to breathe only through her mouth now, she found the first two stalls were unusable, in the complete sense of the word, not to mention the source of the stench. Continuing her search she found to her relief that the third one wasn't caked with unspeakable atrocities and soon her business was complete, and her bladder no longer felt ready to burst.

As she stepped out of the stall with the intention of washing her hands, Bridgette stopped when a sudden wave of dizziness and nausea struck her without warning. She clutched onto the stall door as the room began tilting beneath her feet, threatening to bring up her breakfast and probably a good amount of stomach acid as well. At the same time, her unborn child began to writhe inside of her, its tiny convulsions sending small pains down her stomach, through her pelvis and into her legs. Standing unsteadily as she held onto the door and trying all the while to keep herself from throwing up, Bridgette lifted her eyes to the mirror, catching sight of her pale complexion and something else…

Horror found its way onto her face as she watched a river of dark blood snake out from under the stall to her left. It washed over the gray floor leaving red death behind that began to spread like an infection across the bathroom. Creeping up the walls with crimson veins that corroded all it touched, the blood began pealing away the tiles and paint alike as if they were nothing more than flesh to be flayed and discarded. It was at that moment, just before her brain started to tell her body to flee, that the nausea and dizziness disappeared, and in its place sharp pain bloomed inside of her belly. The pain swept away any thoughts of inexplicable blood and Bridgette's eyes squeezed shut as she fell to her knees, her hands clutching at her pregnant stomach in a futile attempt to banish the mysterious cramp. She kneeled there for only a few seconds until the pain disappeared just as quickly as it had come, but she didn't dare move again in fear that it would come again, so instead she remained on the floor with her eyes now glued to the dirty tiles and her breath coming out in ragged gasps. A few minutes passed and the pain didn't come again.

Confused and shaken, Bridgette climbed to her feet, using the stall door for support as she glanced down to the left, wary of what she might find. There was no blood, no veins, no corrosion…and no sign that there ever was. Looking to the mirror, the reflection too was free of the bizarre gore. Had she just imagined it all? Was it a hallucination from the pain? Remembering the recent ache, Bridgette protectively rubbed her stomach. It wasn't the first time during her pregnancy that something like this had happened, at least the pain part anyway, and her doctors had told her that should it happen again she should head to the nearest hospital. That of course was all well and good for expecting mother's who had insurance or loving husbands to support them, but unlike those women, she was already up to her eyeballs in hospital dept.

Carefully, she checked to see if she was bleeding anywhere, then went and washed her hands when she found nothing out of place. Deep lines of worry were etched across her forehead as she stared at her pallid reflection; she felt wretched. It was bad enough that she was having problems with her pregnancy, but now she was having bizarre hallucinations on top of that! She feared to think of what would come next in her long list of ailments and lifetime failures. '_Great'_, she thought as she dried her hands off on her jeans, '_now I'm depressed again; way to go Bridge: number one on the pep squad!_'

The walk back was brisk and when she sat back down in the car she couldn't bare to look at her brother. He would know that something was wrong, she just knew it, and then she would have no choice but to tell him about the episode in the bathroom; then he would demand to know why she hadn't told him about it sooner and then he would have their parents help her out with the doctor's bills. No, she refused to be that sort of burden on her family, especially when her parents were having financial problems of their own. So as Nathan pulled out of the parking lot, and back onto the road, Bridgette kept her eyes focused to the right, and kept her thoughts to herself.

After passing a few turns that were nothing more than beaten paths cutting through the woods, the siblings found a real road that promised hope. Lindsey Street was lined with businesses on both sides, and there were even several cars parked along the curbs.

"Finally!" breathed Bridgette as her eyes passed over the Ridgeview Medical Clinic sign.

Her brother made no response as they turned onto the road, and she was ready to ask him what the problem was until she realized what it was herself. While they were on what should seem a semi-busy street, there was no activity what so ever. The fog was only slightly thinner here, but still the area was just as dead as the rest stop had been. Nobody walked down the streets, the windows of every business were dark and shadowed; nothing seemed alive. Nathan coasted down the deserted street then made a right onto Sanders, then another right onto Neely, and everywhere they turned was the exact same story. Neely took them back onto the main road they had detoured from initially, but before taking the turn Nathan stopped in the middle of the road, his hands maintaining a death grip around the wheel.

"So is the whole fucking town shut cause of the weather then?"

She chose not to favor his sarcastic question with an answer, partly because of his attitude, but mostly because she just didn't have one. He was allowed to be frustrated; after all, she was, but was he right? Was the entire town shut down? Did that even happen; and if so, why would people have left their cars? None of it made sense. Without another word, Nathan turned back onto the highway, his knuckles white from the pressure he applied to the steering wheel. They kept going straight for some time, both lost in their own thoughts, and then, without conferring with Bridgette, Nathan took a right turn onto a road that looked no different from the one they were already on.

Silently they followed the contours of the road while Bridgette's mind explored all the plausible explanations for why a town would be abandoned. She could think of quite a few, but most of them left a town with devastation that she had not seen anywhere yet. Other possibilities stirred in the back of her mind and had she not felt the sudden urge to vomit she would have voiced them to her brother. Instead of talking though, she grabbed at his shoulder and gave a rough shake. Lucky for her, he understood the wide eyed, pale expression, or maybe it was just the fact that she had a hand clapped over her mouth that keyed him in; either way he pulled over to the side of the road without question or delay.

Bridgette threw open her door, unbuckled, and leaned out in less than five seconds, the remainder of this mornings meal meeting the ground with a very unpleasant squish. Nathan stared on with worry as she continued to throw up until she could do nothing more than dry heave. They sat there for some time, until Bridgette finally spoke, her voice hoarse and shaky.

"Can we just sit here for a few minutes?"

"Sure," Nathan answered as he shut off the car and leaned forward, "You wanna lay in the back for a few?"

Bridgette shook her head as she wiped her mouth across the arm of her coat, "No, I just wanna let my stomach settle for a bit."

"Ok."

Taking a deep breath, Bridgette sat up and took a look around. They had pulled over into the driveway of what must have been at one point an impressive building for this area, but now it was nothing more than charred rubble. The remains were blackened and rotting from years of weather abuse, and the entire area felt eerie and dead. She could see vague shadows hidden behind the deteriorating walls, shapes that must have been the furniture that met the same cruel fate as the building.

As Bridgette started to look away though she caught something move from the corner of her eye. Darting back to that direction, she squinted in an attempt to pierce through the fog. Nothing moved. Had it been her imagination again? A minute passed before she finally gave up and turned to sit in the car again, her temples pounding from her recent activities, and her mind working itself into a little frenzy over a shadow.

"I think…maybe I _will_ lay down for a bit, if you don't mind."

"Not at all, not like there's anyone here to stop us from loitering. 'Sides, maybe the weather will be cleared up by then and we can get the hell outta here."

"I hope so…"

With her mind thinking about sleep now, Bridgette barely managed to hide a large yawn behind her hand as she climbed into the back seat. She cuddled her head against her arm and pulled her knees up as much as her stomach would allow. Eyes closed and a little less than comfortable, Bridge murmured to her brother,

"You just gonna sit here while I sleep?"

"Nah, I might take a look around, creepy shit like this is kinda cool."

"Well don't…go too far…" her voice began trailing off as the tendrils of sleep started to knead her brain.

"Don't worry so much, I'll be right around here and it's not like…"

Bridgette plummeted into darkness as the vestiges of consciousness finally hid themselves away. Then, as the weight of the waking world lifted off of her shoulders she floated down and came to a stop on molten clouds that burned both hot and cold in her soul; a piercing siren began to sing a shrill song in the distance. The song terrified her in a way she couldn't describe and it reminded her of blood and the stink of death. She could see the blood now, oozing towards her and reaching out to try and consume her whole. So she ran, she ran and ran but the siren followed. It echoed everywhere carrying with it a hidden message that felt familiar but remained undecipherable. Her skin burned and itched and for some reason it felt as if there was a fire inside of her stomach; a small inferno feeding off of her and eating its way through her flesh with slow precision. Bridgette screamed and woke up.

With a gasp she sat up, her skin still itching from the remnants of her dream and her heart pounding with fear induced adrenaline. Her mouth was dry, a headache lurked quietly behind her eyes and she was alone. It took her a few minutes to realize this fact, but after she noticed it other oddities began showing themselves in short concession. The first thing that she noticed was that it was pitch-black outside of the car. The only light she could find was coming from the ceiling of her car, which led to the second thing she noticed. The driver's side door was hanging wide open and a thin layer of snow had begun to collect on the seat. Daring to do the cliché, Bridgette leaned towards the front and called through the opening.

"Nathan? Nathan!"

Nothing. A shiver of fear slid down her spine and Bridgette frowned, unsure of what to do next. The car keys were missing, which implied that Nathan had gone somewhere, but why wasn't he back yet if it was already night and why had he left the car door open? Timid, Bridgette got out of the car and walked around to the driver's side. She locked the doors as she got in and reached for her cell phone with the intention of calling her brother. When she flipped it open though and spotted her signal she sighed and wondered if all the cell phone companies lied about how great their coverage was. Honestly, what was the point in having a cell phone if you couldn't use it in dire situations? She flipped the phone shut again and slid it into her pocket. A good twenty minutes passed as she just sat there, anxious and waiting for the man who refused to reappear. When she had enough of waiting she let out an annoyed huff and decided to go look for him herself.

Bridgette popped open the trunk then got out of the car. She left it unlocked just in case she came back without or before him. As she looked in the trunk, she couldn't help but smile. The day she had left home her father had insisted that she keep several items in her trunk in case of a roadside emergency and now she was glad that she had listened to his advice. She pulled out the heavy-duty flashlight and tested it before rummaging through some of the other things. There were quite a few items packed, most of which would be useful for changing a flat tire or bandaging a minor wound but nothing that seemed useful at the moment. If she needed anything though, she could always come back to the car anyway, right? Happy with just the flashlight for now, Bridgette turned it on then slammed the trunk shut.

The sound didn't echo and even though Bridgette didn't notice this herself, subconsciously it hit home and sent a shuddering response through her body that increased her awareness to the dark world around her. She swallowed the lump that had formed in the back of her throat and shined the flashlight towards the burnt ruins. A frown found its way onto her face as the light tried to penetrate through the deep black, succeeding only just, and as she waved it gingerly back and forth she swore that it was revealing a complete building, one that wasn't decrepit and derelict but that was impossible…

Slow and cautious, Bridgette walked towards what should have been rubble but the closer she got the wider her eyes became. Looking up at the towering building, she stared at the sign that introduced her to the Lake View Hotel. Though she tried to rationalize the situation in her head by suggesting that perhaps she had gone in the wrong direction in her heart, she knew that this was the building that had burned down and now for some crazy reason, it was whole again. The threatening hotel rose above her as she tried to decide whether she should go in or not. She'd seen plenty of horror movies and going into a spooky house that appeared out of nowhere seemed high on the list of things not to do if you cherished your life.

What if Nathan had gone inside though? After all, he really was the sort of person who would want to investigate a magically restored hotel, ignoring any possible dangers in the process. She wondered if opening the door and just shouting for him would suffice. Her silent planning was interrupted then as the cell phone in her pocket began to let out an unnerving series of screeches and static, quiet at first but rising to a crescendo that caused her hair to stand on end. She snatched it out of her pocket and flipped it open but even when she hit different buttons the sound did not abate. After no success she finally held down the power button and as soon as the phone shut off the noise stopped leaving her in a deafening silence. With her nerves frayed now, but her ears salvaged, Bridgette sighed and gave a nervous laugh at her miniscule triumph.

Something behind her hissed then. It was the sort of hiss you'd expect to hear from an angry cat, only this cat sounded bigger and a whole lot angrier. The hiss was followed by the sound of something metallic dragging against pavement. She didn't want to, but Bridgette couldn't help it as her head began to turn and face whatever had made that sound and as she pointed the beam of light in the direction she gazed, she regretted it instantly. Only a yard or so away, walking towards her with a patient gait, was a creature right out of a nightmare.

It was tall, taller than her by a good foot and a half, and it was ugly as sin and twice as terrifying. The monster almost appeared humanoid, but its naked body was a sickly, glistening gray hue that had dark veins crisscrossing in every direction, some of which seemed to have burst through the skin and begun leaking. The head was replaced with just one large fleshy snout that could have belonged to a mutilated dog, and as it sniffed the air it quivered with excitement. The arms extended much too far away from the body, and while one ended in a perfect human hand the other ended in a mouth; a sharp toothed, drooling, open mouth complete with a lolling tongue. In its perfect hand, the creature pulled a long piece of metal that was fashioned into a rudimentary sword, but one without a hilt to hang on to. Blood ran down the blade from where the monster held onto it, and as the metal scraped against the pavement it left a thin bloody trail.

Bridgette was shocked into a stupor as the _thing_ continued to walk closer to her. Her brain screamed at her to run, to go inside, to get back to the car, to do _something_ other than stand there like an imbecile, and while she wanted to do any of those things her legs would just not cooperate. They were heavy as lead and glued to the ground… And the monster was getting closer.


	3. Puzzles

**Silent Hill - Rebirth**

**Chapter Three**

Bridgette knew what a deer stuck in the headlights of an oncoming car felt like now. There she was, on the brink of certain death and she couldn't even bring herself to try and run away or to just scream maniacally at the sheer horror of it all. The grotesque monster was coming closer, it's languid pace suggesting it knew she would be too afraid to run and it was right. Her whole body quivered with terror, sweat poured from her skin and yet she was frozen in place. Her entire thought process was shut down while her body stood at the precipice of its fight or flight mode, and the beam of light illuminating her visitor bobbed back and forth as Bridgette's hands shook beyond her control. It would reach her any minute.

Somewhere in the background, unheard behind the pounding of her heart and the rush of blood in her ears, the door to the hotel opened; the monster took another step closer. Fingers curled around Bridgette's shoulder, waking her out of the fear-induced trance she was in and the awakening brought with it the clarity of imminent danger. Not caring who or what was behind her at that moment, Bridgette pivoted and stumbled forward through the open door, inadvertently pulling with her another body. Unable to slow her momentum, she fell to the floor on her hands and knees just a few feet from the door and wretched her head around to see what was going on and if she should be worried about getting stabbed in the back or worse. She watched as the door slammed shut and a woman with long auburn hair, gangly arms and slender shoulders put the bolts into place. Before the stranger even turned around, words began pouring out of Bridgette's mouth,

"Oh my god did you see that? What the hell is it? Oh god it's gonna get in here! We have to go now, we have to call somebody we need a phone we need the police!"

The other woman was calm as she turned around and smiled. Her face was young, only a year or two older than Bridgette's and she had large, green eyes that reflected none of the fear her new guest felt. She wore a simple brown dress with white trim, and as she knelt down in front of Bridgette she took great care to not let her ankles show from beneath it.

"We're safe in here for now. Are you injured?"

"I—No, no I don't think so; how can you be sure we're safe in here though? That thing looks like it could break in no problem and what _is _that thing anyway? And what's going on here, what are you doing here—and what's with this hotel, it's supposed to burnt down, it's supposed to be gone!"

"Well, it isn't gone, as you can see for yourself…"

The woman stood and smoothed out her dress then offered her hand. Bridgette accepted the stranger's help and climbed to her feet with an exerted grunt. She kept her distance from the door, still not positive that the beast outside wouldn't come crashing through in the next few seconds as she took a moment to examine her new location. They were standing in a short hallway decorated with a few old paintings, a few pieces of antique furniture and no electricity. The woman who had saved her had a candle sitting on the table near the door and the light that flickered across the walls made Bridgette feel claustrophobic and uneasy although she couldn't pinpoint the exact reason. Pulling her gaze back to her hero, her shackles were raised in an instant when she noticed the strange gleam in the woman's eyes.

"You are with child!" her voice was a reverent hiss.

"Umm…yeah." Bridgette murmured, still relieved to see another human being but now plagued by the sudden feeling that something just wasn't right about the lady's curiosity.

"And…it is a girl…?" It was less of a question and more of an answer.

"Yeah, but what does that have to do with…"

"Tell me, why are you here?" she cut in.

That was a question that didn't make Bridgette as uncomfortable, so she answered it eagerly in hopes that it would detour the conversation away from her pregnancy, "I'm not sure exactly; my brother and I were driving and we got lost in the fog, so we came here hoping to get directions or to wait out the weather or something and we couldn't find anybody. You're the first person that I've seen in hours! Do you know what's going on here, where is everyone?"

"The wicked have been swept away and only those worthy of judgment remain now. Where is this brother of yours?"

"He…went missing. I took a nap, and when I woke up he was gone and then it was totally dark out and there was that, that _thing_."

The woman's face was full of pity and sadness as she nodded, "My own sister was unworthy as well…" The look vanished as her eyes came alight with hope and her mouth turned up into a radiant smile, "But the end of judgment draws nigh; your coming here has proven as much!"

"Huh?" Bridgette frowned, her heart trying to send out warnings that her brain couldn't comprehend.

"I've been chosen, can't you see? You've come to _me_; _I_ have been given this great honor!"

"Honor, what…?"

"Yes! I will open the gates for God, and we will all be saved from damnation! She will bring Paradise to the faithful and death to those undeserving! She will save us all!"

Bridgette recognized hidden insanity behind the woman's eyes and she smartly took a step back, her hand tightening around the flashlight just in case it would be needed as a weapon. The other woman seemed unaware of Bridgette's defensive stance as she continued to smile and gaze dreamily at the pregnant stomach, her mind absorbed in evangelical ideas. Trying to steer the situation away from where ever it was headed, Bridgette forced a smile.

"Well thank you for all your help miss…?"

"Elaine," her voice was distant as she took a step closer.

"Elaine," the woman still wouldn't tear her gaze away from the unborn child, "Elaine!" Bridgette's shout finally caught her attention and now the two were staring one another in the awkward silence. The air crackled with malignant energy just waiting to explode. Maintaining a superficial smile, Bridgette kept her voice soft as she spoke, "I—I really have to use the restroom, could you…take me to one, please?"

Elaine seemed to consider whether she should or not but after a few seconds she nodded and picked up her candle, "There's one just down the hall here, follow me please."

Bridgette followed behind Elaine as she led them down the hall. Ahead, a staircase rose up into the darkness and the hallway split to the left and the right; Elaine turned left. Instinctively, Bridgette knew that following the woman would be a bad idea for whatever the reason. She knew that her life depended on getting away from this evangelist, so as Elaine turned left, Bridgette continued going forward, trying to keep her steps light and quick as she snuck up the staircase. She wasn't sure why the woman scared her, or why she thought that her life was at risk, but the sensation was so strong that she simply couldn't ignore it. Only half way up, she heard the surprised shout.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Bridgette didn't bother to answer or turn around. The rush of adrenaline to her system was like a punch in the stomach and she used the new found strength that coursed through her veins to fly up the stairs as fast as she could. She kept running; down a hall, through a door, down another hall and through another door, until she was sure that Elaine was left far behind. She closed the door behind her and tried to quiet her heavy breathing while she strained to listen for sounds of pursuit. As the seconds ticked by, her adrenaline running out and her fear momentarily subsiding, Bridgette began to wonder why she had run at all. Yes, the woman seemed to be a religious fanatic and somewhat on the insane side but Elaine hadn't attacked her, hadn't posed any real threat, yet at the time she had been sure the woman's intentions were evil. That feeling was gone though and now she was not only beginning to regret running from the only other human she had seen but she was regretting her idea to run at all. A small, throbbing cramp curled around her sides, a painful reminder that a woman so close to her due date should not be exerting herself so. '_Oh Nathan…Where are you?'_

She couldn't hear any footsteps in the hall so she was confident that Elaine had not given chase. With that small comfort in mind, Bridgette turned around to inspect the room she had taken refuge in. It looked like your every day, run of the mill extended-stay hotel room complete with a twin beds, a table, a tiny kitchen area, a small dusty window and a door that presumably led to a bathroom. Bridgette walked over to the window and gazed out. Black night pressed in from the other side and made it impossible to see anything beyond the cold glass. Wondering if the reception would be better up here, Bridgette reached into her pocket and pulled out her cell phone.

As soon as she turned it on, it vibrated and played a few musical cords to let her know that she had received a text message. She flipped open the phone and felt her heart pause as the screen loaded, showing that she had a message from Nathan. Bridgette hit the button to open her message.

'**where the hell did u go**'

She stared unblinking at the message until the words began to blur. Was he out at the car right now? Did he even know about the monster? What if the thing got him already? Bridgette dialed his number but was answered right away with the annoying tones of failure. She frowned as she stared at the lack of signal bars. She needed to warn him! Her frown filled with determination as she punched in a reply message. Maybe that would go through…

'**i'm in the hotel, watch out for the monsters! we have to meet somewhere safe, where are you?'**

The message sounded stupid to her but she could think of no better way to convey all that she needed to. She hoped that he would receive it and reply soon. Then she could find him and together they could leave this horrible town. In the mean time, Bridgette knew she'd have to sit tight and stay out of trouble. Whatever was going on right now exceeded any logical explanation she could come up with so for her to try and wrap her mind around it felt like a waste of precious time and energy. She could only hope that either the answers revealed themselves later, or that she and Nathan would be out of here before it mattered.

Scanning over the quaint room, Bridgette thought back to old McGuyver episodes and felt the urge to look around to see if anything could be useful in her predicament. She opened the drawer in the nightstand between the beds first, but found it empty. The closet on the sidewall also yielded nothing. Checking the kitchen next, Bridgette was delighted to find a large cutting knife in one of the drawers, though she prayed that the time to use it would never come.

Standing in the kitchen, weapon in one hand and flashlight in the other, Bridgette felt quite proud of her prowess in this situation. She was happy to find out that in horrific circumstances such as these she was not the type of woman who would curl up in a corner and cry until death found her. No, she would not just curl up and die; she had a baby and a younger brother to look after and they were both depending on her. With that thought in mind, Bridgette continued to look through the cabinets and drawers with renewed vigor. In the last drawer she checked, she found a glossy pamphlet that catered to the visiting populace. It advertised a fun-filled family amusement park and even had an illustrated map for the park as well; a few pages after that it had another map for the resort area of Silent Hill. She wasn't sure if it would come in handy or not but Bridgette took it anyway; after all, if she did happen to end up in that part of town and didn't have a map, she would curse herself for not bringing it. Hindsight was a bitch.

Bridgette was about to leave the kitchen when the refrigerator caught her eye. She felt silly for wanting to check it out but today seemed like a good day to do something irrational and maybe if she was lucky there would be a freshly made turkey sandwich inside with her name written all over it. After opening the door and shining her flashlight inside though, Bridgette's stomach decided that a trip to the sink would be necessary. Nothing came up from the painful heaves but she felt better afterwards nonetheless. Inside the refrigerator was not a turkey sandwich. Instead there sat a severed human hand, blue, gray and bloody, with small lesions decorating the fingers and one of the fingernails torn off. The hand was curled into a fist with something metallic and shiny poking out from the side. Bridgette just stood there for a moment, staring.

"Oh god you have _got_ to be kidding me…" she groaned.

After pulling the key loose, Bridgette spent a good measure of time gagging in the sink some more, wondering at the same time how much more her stomach could handle before it simply folded in on itself and called it a day. This was worse than having morning sickness all over again! Still, finding a key in such an odd place felt important so she didn't regret her decision to take it. Now equipped with a key, a map, a knife and her trusty flashlight, Bridgette was feeling confident about leaving the room and continuing her search for Nathan. All she had to do now was take a quick bathroom break and then she would be off.

The bathroom was small and musty, but it did accommodate Bridgette's needs nicely even if the toilet refused to flush afterwards. After jiggling the handle a few times, her common decency arguing that it was the proper thing to do, she gave up and went to the sink, her eyes seeking out her reflection. The flashlight was standing on the counter near the sink, pointed at the ceiling so it managed to fill the room with enough light to let Bridgette see the discolored bags beneath her eyes. She was tired, hungry, scared and frustrated, all of which was no doubt enough to make her eligible for an ugly award. Depressed, Bridgette sighed and brushed her hair back behind her ears but then her plump cheeks seemed to stand out even more so she pushed the hair back in place, thoroughly displeased with her appearance and ready to ignore it again.

About to reach for the flashlight, Bridgette stopped mid-motion as an electrifying tremor coursed through her body. It raced down to her fingers and toes, igniting nerve after nerve and she had no time to react before a familiar and wrenching pain tore through her abdomen, nearly buckling her knees and sending her sprawling. Bridgette leaned forward against the sink with both hands, her face a portrait of torment as the unborn child inside of her convulsed violently, kicking at her from the inside and flailing about with agonizing precision. It felt as if something was being ripped within her womb and Bridgette was forced to grind her teeth together to keep from screaming aloud and possibly attracting unwanted attention. Her mind was numb as tears fell from her eyes and time had no meaning as she sank to the floor twitching from the torture. The rushing blood in her ears blocked out the rising static that her phone hissed. Bridgette's head lolled to the side as her eyes fluttered open, her mind still buried beneath a pyramid of pain. What she saw sent her thoughts clawing to the surface and her body scrambling backwards until her back slammed against the tub.

If Bridgette had to imagine what it would look like to see a virus eat away at a person, this is what she thought it would look like. Thick coppery veins crawled from beneath the door and began growing up the walls and across the floor towards her with unnatural speed. As they spread, they ate away at everything, turning the walls to rust and blood and transforming the floor into grating that hid a bottomless abyss. She jumped to her feet, her head light from the diminishing pain and twirled as everything shifted before her open eyes. The effect was nauseating. The change was near complete before Bridgette's ears began picking up the screeching static coming from her phone. She recalled this happening before but…

Something was scratching at the wall from the other side of the door. It sounded as if it came from something small and Bridgette dared to hope that maybe it was just a lost cat or at worst maybe a mouse or two but she wouldn't have bet her life on it. But now the big decision came: stay trapped in here, hoping that somebody might come and save her before she starved to death or open the door and face whatever was out there. Beyond the door something whined. It sounded like a dog, no, more like a baby that hasn't gotten its way; no, definitely more like a dog…whatever it sounded most similar too, it sent shivers down Bridgette's spine regardless. Several others, creating a chorus of desperation, joined the first whine. Her blood ran cold in her veins.

Bridgette snatched up the flashlight from the counter and wiped the tears from her eyes with the back of her hand, "Please just let this be a bad dream, please just let this be a bad dream, please just…oh god just let this be a bad dream…"

She continued to whisper that mantra as she picked up the knife and inched towards the door. The rusted knob taunted her. It promised unspeakable horrors beyond and eternal imprisonment within and either option walked hand in hand with death. The scratching and whining outside the door continued. Bridgette held her breath as she shifted the flashlight over to her knife-hand and reached for the doorknob. She couldn't even hear the static anymore as she started pulling the door open and as her eyes found the source of the noise she felt her own sanity wanting to go on holiday. Her free hand dove towards her mouth and stifle a scream.

There were three monsters in the room, none larger than a young child and all more hideous than the next. The one closest to her had the body of a developing fetus. It was snakelike but much less functional and flexible than an actual serpent. The skin looked wet and raw as it pushed feebly against the floor, propelling the creature forward as it scraped against the wall. Atop the body was a bulbous head with bulging cheeks and eyes much too large for the sockets they sat in. It had the face of a child, only one that was distorted and nightmarish with parts concaved and open like a festering wound and other areas protruding at awkward, curved angles. The _thing_ had four arms, three of which scratched at the walls with sharp little fingernails; the forth arm was just a mass of flesh. It hung limp at the monster's side and had only three fingers, each one thick and oddly curved; unusable. The other two creatures in the room were just as repulsive as the first but each in their own terrifying little ways.

Bridgette was so engrossed with staring at the monstrosities before her that it took her a moment to realize that they were now crawling towards her, inching their way across the floor and reaching out to her with their little fingers. She slid to the right and kept her back pressed to the wall as she made her way towards the door, her eyes never leaving the things in the room and her mind screaming in abject terror. As soon as her back found the knob she dropped her hand away from her mouth and tore the door open. Shuddering, she swung out of the room and slammed the door shut behind her with a noise caught in her throat that was both a scream and a sob. The dog-like wails pierced the hallway from the other side, each one conveying a miserable longing and each one loosing another ounce of rationality from her mind.

Turning away from the door and forcing her impending cry back down Bridgette was dismayed to find the hallway a reflection of the hotel and bathroom. Rust and blood covered the decaying walls and ceiling, the floor was metal grating and though she should have been able to see the rooms below there was nothing but darkness beneath her feet. Another shriek bubbled within her throat and it took several swallows to push it down and remember to breathe; each one came out with a keening whimper. Base instincts were trying to take over and Bridgette had to push them away to keep her body from running mindless down the halls and seeking a dark corner to collapse into.

Not daring to close her eyes, she took several deep breaths and hugged herself for a few seconds, the knife once again in her other hand and ready for quick use. A minute passed while she listened to the wailing from the room behind her, the sound of nails just a few feet to the right of the door. _'Breathe in; oh god, oh god, oh my fucking god; breathe out, breathe in, breathe god help me please, oh Jesus fucking Christ what the hell is this place; just breathe, just, just breathe…' _ Her thoughts circled in erratic waves as she tried to council herself. Another minute passed.

With her self-control in check and her body under stringent restraint, she managed to look around without fleeing. The hall seemed clear and free of monsters in either direction so Bridgette chose to continue left. Her footsteps clanked against the grating as she made her way further from the room and as she walked she noticed that her phone quieted down then altogether ceased making the strange static. Was it reacting to the creatures she kept running into? She wasn't all together sure but kept it on anyway, just in case.

Darkness clogged the hallways as Bridgette walked, her flashlight unable to penetrate very far through the gloom that seemed ready to suck her in at any moment. It was stifling and more than once she found herself holding her breathe as if the dark atmosphere could suffocate her should she take too much in. She tried several doors along the hall and was becoming agitated to find that many refused to open no matter how hard she pushed; some were missing doorknobs altogether and others just felt welded shut from the other side. She was coming up to the end of the hallway and was running out of doors to try when one finally gave in to her efforts. Had she not been in a weird town filled with monsters around every corner she would have whooped at her success but since she _was_ in a weird town filled with monsters she opted to keep her mild conquest a private affair. The door opened with a loud crunch as rust grinded against rust and Bridgette winced with every second of sound it made, ever fearful that it would draw attention but nothing came.

Before stepping into the room, Bridgette leaned in and shined the flashlight around; it sported the same look as the hallway and by some great miracle was clear of anything murderous. The only things she could see inside were a desk and a chair, both filthy and splintered but otherwise in one piece. On the desk Bridgette found what appeared to be a page torn out of a book, a majority of it illegible and covered with what she could only assume was dried blood. She whispered the visible part aloud, her own voice an unconscious comfort to her shaken mind,

"…the fires that cleanse… Only then will the world be purified and the sinners sent to Hell. Light the flames of righteousness and burn the wicked… God, what kind of book did this come from…?"

The only other thing that inspired investigation was the desk drawer and it was locked. Bridgette tried to force it open but it didn't matter how hard she pulled, the damned thing wouldn't budge. As she started to turn away, giving up from the effort, a candle flickered in the recesses of her mind and Bridgette shook her head at the notion.

"Don't be stupid…"

Still, even as she spoke she reached into her pocket and pulled out the key she had plucked from the severed hand. The chances of it fitting the desk were slim and Bridgette felt dumb for even suggesting it to herself but she tried it anyway and was surprised; the key fit and the lock opened without protest. Hoping she wouldn't find another body part inside, Bridgette pulled the drawer out. She stared at the contents with mild disbelief, feeling like a pawn in some demented game now. Why would some one leave a hand with a key inside of a refrigerator? And why would that key just lead her to another key? It felt as if something or someone was playing a cruel joke on her and she didn't find it the least bit funny.

Inside the desk drawer was a key ring with four keys, one of which was larger than the rest and broken in half. Lying beside them was an old lighter, the kind that flipped open and was made of steel, and hidden in the corner were a few pencils, dull and indented with teeth marks. Bridgette pocketed the keys and looked at the remaining items, not sure if they would prove useful in the future or not. She grabbed the lighter and gave it a try, astounded that it still worked, so it too was taken. The pencils seemed meaningless though so she left them behind.

With her pockets full of freshly stolen goods, Bridgette sat down in the chair and let out a miserable sigh. Why was this happening to her of all people? She wasn't anyone special; hadn't accomplished anything great in life, hadn't done anything particularly wrong, yet here she was nevertheless. She couldn't shake the feeling of being toyed with either and the longer the notion sat nestled in her mind the more unsettled it became. Was Elaine the one doing this to her and if so, why? But what about the monsters, how could things like that possibly exist outside of a dream? It was true that this did feel like a nightmare but not the conventional, while you're sleeping type, so there had to be some explanation for the horrible creatures. Bridgette also had to wonder if anyone else was trapped like she and Nathan were. Elaine had spoken about a sister; maybe she too was alive somewhere, cut off from the world and terrified. The idea was almost comforting and Bridgette embraced the thought that perhaps she wasn't the only one alone and scared, that maybe she could find somebody to help her find her brother.

Her stomach gave a loud protested. Pulling out her phone she saw that it was just after midnight and her body was already starting to succumb to weariness and hunger. Her daughter as well was projecting unhappiness at the stress and lack of food she was being subjected to and Bridgette felt the emotional ache keenly. She needed to find Nathan soon… Standing, Bridgette clutched onto the knife and the flashlight as she made her way back out into the hallway, her thoughts gravitating around a single, hollow phrase. God help me.


	4. Midnight in Hell

**Silent Hill - Rebirth**

**Chapter Four**

**I**

**Monday, November 9th**

The halls were vacant as Bridgette scoured the rest of the floor with surgical precision. It felt odd that there was nothing terrifying to block her way but she wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth and she was thankful for the small favor. She kept her pace swift and tried every door she came across only to find they all refused admittance. Undeterred by her failures though, she decided to search the second floor next. The stairs were easy enough to find and as she shined her flashlight up into the darkness the beam looked feeble against the hungry unknown; she hesitated.

Bridgette took a deep breath. What would she find up there, more monsters? The mere thought of having to face another horrible creature sent shivers of trepidation down her spine. What if her luck ran out? What would she do if they cornered her and… Bridgette shook her head and forced the images from her mind. Standing here wouldn't find Nathan and if anything else, staying in one place left her vulnerable to anybody wandering the halls. No, she had to keep moving. Hanging onto her depleting reserves of courage, Bridgette started up.

Just as she was reaching the middle of the stairwell the phone in her pocket began to scream and crackle, alerting the world that something bad was on the way. Her heart skipped a beat. She began to hurry, eyes wide as she jerked her head back and forth to watch the top and bottom of the stairs, unsure of where the monster would come from. As she turned to look up for the third time, her path was cut off as an arm exploded out from a fungal black growth on the wall. The appendage was gray, mottled and covered in oily muck as it lunged at her. With a gasp, Bridgette managed to duck just in time and it swiped over her head but while her attention focused on it, she failed to see the arms sprouting on her other side. Ready to sprint up the steps, her teeth were knocked painfully together as fingers entangled into her hair and wrenched her head backwards. Bridgette cried out in alarm as it yanked her towards the wall and another hand grabbed onto her shoulder, holding her securely in place. She began hyperventilating and slashed wildly at the arms as panic fogged her thoughts.

She screamed again as another hand grabbed onto her ankle, the bony fingers firm and unforgiving as they dug into her skin. The flashlight fell from her hand and clattered to the floor before rolling towards the side and illuminating the floor she'd just come from. Concerned with more important things, Bridgette began to stab ruthlessly at the hand tangled into her hair and after a few lucky blows she was rewarded to feel hot liquid slide down the back of her neck and her head free. Without thinking she slashed at the hand on her shoulder next, her revulsion at the deep gashes leaking inky blood forgotten as she fought for survival. The knife cut into muscle and flesh, tore through tendons and nerves but still the hand refused to let go. The wall was getting closer and Bridgette was sure that they meant to pull her into it. Using the blade as a saw now, she started removing the fingers with fear fed strength, the thick winter coat the only thing stopping her from cutting into her own shoulder. Two of the fingers fell to the floor, each one twitching spastically, no doubt furious at their failure. Bridgette managed to dislodge the grip on the shoulder with a few more desperate struggles but with nothing holding onto her upper body anymore she fell forward.

The jarring fall knocked the wind out of her lungs and loosed her grip on the knife. It slid across the grating then bounced just out of reach three stairs below; it might as well have been a mile away for all the good it did her. Letting out a wail of desperation and fear and pain and horror, Bridgette jerked her body to the side and started kicking at the hand around her ankle, her face scrunched into a silent, animalistic snarl. She felt bones crack beneath the heel of her boot and blood oozed from several gashes but her primal need for escape fueled her to further destruction. Other arms grabbed at the air above and behind her, each one blind yet confident that something would get caught eventually. A few more kicks won her freedom and Bridgette stretched to grab her lost weapon and flashlight. Somehow she managed to retrieve them and from there she scampered up the stairs on all fours, her body bouncing back and forth as she dodged the frenzied arms. By the time she threw herself onto the second floor, Bridgette could do nothing but lay there shuddering and wheezing, her mind blank from trauma as she tried to catch her breath. She watched with surreal detachment as the arms in the stairwell continued their search for a victim but she couldn't bring herself to do more than that. The world around her had gone silent from shock.

A thousand heartbeats later, Bridgette forced herself to sit up and scoot away from the stairs. Her chest and throat ached from the strain of her screams and her skin was tender from where the hands had held onto her. She held the knife close as she shined the flashlight down both ends of the hall and keeping a watch in all directions she managed to stand with some effort. Her legs quivered and protested, her stomach was twisted into painful knots and try as she might her breathing refused to return to normal. The cell phone in her pocket wouldn't shut up and though it frayed the remainder of her nerves, Bridgette didn't dare turn it off.

'_I can't…I can't…Oh god, oh god please, I can't…_' At that moment she wanted nothing more than to curl up in a dark corner and wait for rescue. The situation was impossible; it couldn't be real. Her eyes told a different story when she looked towards the stairwell though; she looked away again. _'This isn't…oh god, oh my god, please help me, please, please…oh Nathan where are, god help me please I've gotta find him'_ Imaging her brother's face as he confronted monsters equal or worse than the ones she'd already seen stabbed a needle of courage into her heart. Nathan was still out there. He had to be found. If she gave up now, she realized they may never see each other again and she would never forgive herself if anything happened to him. Only a few feet away to the right was another door so with her heart pounding and her body quaking with terror she started for it. The knob was warm beneath her fingers as she turned it and it opened without complaint._ 'Please Nathan; please be here I need you…'_

Inside the room the aphotic interior devoured the beam of light Bridgette tried to search it with. She shined a path along the floor but once she got more than three or four feet ahead the beam lost strength and gave into the dark consumption. Not eager to investigate the unknown, Bridgette licked her chapped lips and leaned her head in.

"Nathan?"

Her voice carried through the chamber but there was no response to her tentative call. The room was stagnant, filled with the pungent odor of decay. Everything inside of Bridgette urged her to turn back and close the door and she would have had something in the room not called her name at that moment. It was such a delicate whisper that at first she wasn't even sure it had been real; then it called her again. Her first instinct was to ignore the voice and leave. The urge was powerful yet her brain chimed in against it. _'What if it's Nathan? What if he's hurt, hiding in here? God you just can't just leave him!'_

Bridgette stepped inside and the unisex voice called again, this time with delicate urgency. It came out as a breathy hiss that hung in the air before dropping off into silence. Unable to find her own voice, Bridgette didn't answer as she crept further into the room. The door clamored shut behind her and as it did the static coming from her cell phone fizzled away. Bridgette jumped in surprised and choked on a gasp. Glancing back at where the entrance had been her heart yearned for a quick escape that took all her willpower to resist. She felt alone, lost and terrified but managed to remain steadfast to her cause.

'_Jesus, how big _is_ this room?'_ She continued forward at a crawl, her flashlight revealing only the slightest of grim details until a few more footsteps brought Bridgette to something she hadn't been expecting. The room had a giant hole in the middle. Grating that covered the floor stopped dropped off and gave way to a large round opening and while that was fascinating in itself, Bridgette stood at the edge, eyes locked onto what was suspended _over_ the dark gap. Hanging by a thick rusted chain and swaying back and forth was a tall, narrow cage just large enough for an adult to stand inside of. Pallid fingers curled around the bars however it was hard to tell if the person standing inside was a male or female. Steaming entrails hung from an open wound, snaking down around the feet. Ribs jutted out of the chest and an arm dangled from the shoulder by a single cord of muscle. Dead eyes stared an accusation while the dislocated jaw sagged, held in place now only by flaps of pale, bruised skin. Strips of flesh were missing from the cheeks and forehead and blood pooled onto the bottom of the cage then dripped down into the bottomless pit. The murder looked fresh.

Bridgette suppressed a gag, trying to keep from vomiting and shook her head; this was all wrong! Up until now she had been able to push the horror of her situation to the back of her mind but seeing another human dead and mutilated brought the weight of reality crashing down upon her. This wasn't just _her_ nightmare; other people were dying while she ran and searched for Nathan. How many others? How many other people were trapped in here, how many of the inaccessible rooms had other men and women in them? She kept shaking her head in denial. This whole place was evil and wrong and shouldn't have existed! Bridgette ran past the hole.

"Nathan! Nathan! Answer me goddamnit!"

The flashlight wagged back and forth across the floor in search of any sign that Nathan had been here as Bridgette jogged through the dark, her boots pounding loud against the grating with frustrated abandon. She was desperate to find her brother, to find a way out of this hell.

**II**

**Sunday, November 8th**

Nathan lounged in the driver's seat of his sister's battered old car and tried to contemplate their current situation. Everything had still been normal when they turned into Brahms for a pit stop; it was after they left, after they passed Silent Hill that everything had turned into a fucking freak fest. First the fog, then their inability to find any exits other than the one for Silent Hill…it was like they were being forced to come here, but why, and by what? Then there was the lack of people. Where had everyone gone and why would they leave their stuff behind? None of it made an ounce of sense! It was worse than being stuck in a B-rated horror movie.

Casting a quick glance at the back seat to make sure his sister was still sound asleep, Nathan let out a snort and scratched at his chin. It was beginning to annoy the hell out of him and he was regretting his decision to try and grow a beard. The things he did for women… Still, Sam and Becky would like it; especially Sam, the little minx. He grinned appreciatively as thoughts of what Samantha, back at college, would do for his libido once she saw the new look. Hanging onto those x-rated fantasies, Nathan opened the door and stepped out into the frigid winter air. The chill bit at his ears and nose but he was unconcerned with the cold as he freed a pack of cigarettes from his pants pocket. Stealing one more glance at Bridgette to assure she wasn't just pretending to sleep, he pulled out a cigarette and lit it. The first puff filled his lungs with cancerous bliss and after exhaling slowly he whispered to the fog,

"Sorry sis…"

He had told her a year ago that he'd stopped smoking. She constantly gave him grief about the dangers of cancer no matter how many times he told her that it was his body, not hers, yet though he knew that her intentions were well and that she was only concerned because she loved him, it was a nuisance nonetheless. After coming to stay with her after the _asshole _left, Nathan had been hard pressed to keep his little habit a secret; he wondered if she knew and just didn't say anything anymore. For some reason, the thought of her keeping quiet bothered him more than if she had harassed him. Feeling guilty, however not willing to do anything about it, Nathan walked away from it instead.

Once he disappeared in the fog the radio in the car switched on. Nothing other than dead air came through at first, then the knob began to move on its own accord. Its spin was deliberate, scanning through the empty airwaves until it reached a desired station. When it did a jumbled mass of voices began to fill the car. The dialer continued its slow journey and the voices shifted to become a unified chant sung in an unknown tongue. They chanted louder and louder until one by one the individual voices rose into shrieks of ascending pain as well as horror. The car was filled with screams and the slowly rising, underlying sound of a siren. The siren's call rose in strength until it drowned out every other sound, its wail filling the car with a clarity not of this earth; Bridgette continued to sleep, undisturbed by the noise; her brother continued to walk away, unaware of its passing.

Nathan walked with both hands buried in his pockets, one slipping out now and then to brave the cold and maneuver the cigarette. The ruins of a once large building came into view, piquing Nathan's interest, so the remainder of his cigarette, plus half of another one, was spent shuffling through the charred rubble in search of a cursed locket or a map to hidden treasure. Neither one could be found, nor anything else of particular interesting so the disappointed adventurer strolled back to the Volvo empty handed.

Trying to decide how much longer he should let Bridgette nap, Nathan didn't notice anything was amiss until he opened the door then sat down. His legs were still hanging out of the car when a leftward glance exposed his sister missing from where he'd left her. An alarm went off in the back of his head.

"What the…" Logic muffled the noise to offer an explanation. _'Probably lookin' for me…'_ Standing between the door and the body of the car, Nathan surveyed the area; the fog revealed nothing. "Hey Bridge, where are you?" His shout resounded through the haze, unanswered.

Ears and eyes searching for Bridgette only found her absence amidst the swirling mists. He was ready to get back into the car, out of the ass-biting cold and just call her when footsteps echoed to his left. Nathan squinted, picking up the shadowy figure of a person standing in the distance. The figure's arm lifted into the air then began a languid wave in his direction.

"Very funny Bridgette, get back here so we can go already, I'm fucking freezing!"

The figure waved a few more times then started to retreat further into the fog, "Wait; wait! Where are you going? Shit!"

Whoever had been standing there a moment ago was out of sight now, the footsteps getting softer by the second. Nathan snatched the keys from the ignition and hurried away from the car, his hand missing the door as he swung it backwards in an attempt to shut it. He ran hard and fast to catch up with the figure although his efforts seemed futile. Whoever was ahead of him remained just so. He could hear the person's shoes slap against the pavement as they ran yet for all the stamina that Nathan possessed from hours of baseball practice he couldn't seem to get closer. The footsteps faded away bringing the chase to an abrupt stop. Lost in the murk, angry now at his inability to run faster, Nathan bent over and tried to catch his breath, a curse escaping between each one.

"Shit, fuck, dammit, goddammit, _shit!_"

The icy air stabbed at the inside of Nathan's lungs as he panted. There was no way that Bridgette could out run him so if that wasn't her, than who was it? The question chewed at the back of his brain until dozens of unlikely answers bled from the wounds. Maybe the stranger was responsible for whatever was going on here; maybe he (Nathan figured it _had_ to be a male to outrun him) kidnapped Bridgette; maybe he just spooked Bridgette and she ran to search for him. The maybes continued on until Nathan was able to stand and breathe normally again. Worried about his sister, he decided that calling her would be the best option at that juncture. If she was still near the car she could wait for him there while he made his way back.

Number dialed, Nathan started walking back while he waited for an answer. After three rings it picked up, the hello that should have been forthcoming never happening. Dead air filled the line.

"Hello?" nothing. Hanging up, Nathan tried again, still once more the phone picked up, silence the only reply.

"Hello? Bridgette, you there?" Another minute of nothing passed then the phone hung up on him, "Fuck."

After one last attempt that ended in failure, Nathan stopped trying to dial her and instead typed in a text message. 'Where the hell did you go?' seemed subtle enough; it went through after a few seconds of searching for the smallest signal. The rest of the walk back to the car was uneventful. Just as he was about to start brushing the collected snow off of his seat before climbing back inside his cell phone sang out to him cheerfully, _"Ohhhhh, Kyle's mom is a big fat bitch, she's the biggest bitch in the whole wide world…"_ He'd gotten a reply. Nathan pulled out the phone and opened the message, his frown immediate.

'**i'm in the hotel, watch out for the monsters! we have to meet somewhere safe, where are you?'**

Nathan smirked after reading the message, shaking his head, far from amused at his sister's attempted humor. It was bad enough that she had to go and scare him by running off, but then to send something like this? Not funny…sassy of her, still, not funny. Hopefully closer to Bridgette now, Nathan tried to dial her number again. Three rings, then the line picked up. Right away he heard his sister's giggle on the other end.

"This so isn't funny you know. Where the hell are you anyway huh? I saw some dude wandering around out here. Hello?"

The giggles had stopped as soon as he spoke and now nothing responded to his question. It wasn't dead air like before though. Nathan got the distinct feeling that somebody on the other end was listening to him just as closely as he was trying to hear him or her. Nobody on either end said a word so when after a minute of the emptiness passed he grew tired of the little game.

"Listen, if this isn't Bridge then who the _fuck_ are you? Where's my sister asshole?"

A scream erupted from the phone. It was an inhuman octave that conveyed more pain that the human soul could ever withstand forcing every hair on Nathan's body to rise as he jumped with surprise. The tormented cry stirred up gruesome images of mutilation, suffering, blood and death then stopped just as suddenly as it had begun. Overbearing silence took over the waves once more leaving Nathan shaken as well as disturbed.

"Bridgette…?"

The phone clicked then hung up and every fiber of Nathan's being insisted that this was no joke; something was very wrong. Not sparing any time for idle thoughts he rushed to the trunk of the car. There had to be something in there that could be used for a weapon. The tire iron caught Nathan's immediate attention so he plucked the instrument out of the trunk, relieved to have some sort of protection. He was disheartened by his inability to find a flashlight. He would just have to do without.

Now armed and ready to bludgeon anyone who dared harm his sister, Nathan thought back to the only message she had sent. It said that she was in the hotel. Did she mean what was left of the building nearby? If that were the case, to be _in_ it, she would have to be in the basement, right? Feeling oh so clever, Nathan jogged over to the rubble only to spend the next hour poking and prodding at the ground in search of way down, or a sign that Bridgette had fallen through. He could find no evidence of either. Every inch of the floor was solid and unbroken, so if she was in a hotel, it had to be somewhere else.

"But fuckin' where?" Nathan grumbled to himself as he stabbed the tire iron at another chunk of wood, "It isn't like she had a whole lot a time to get far and for fuck's sake she's pregnant, not like she could have run a long way anyway… And what the hell did she mean by monsters?"

He sighed, hoping she hadn't hit her head then as a consequence started hallucinating. If that _weren't_ the case though, maybe she was referring to the stranger he had chased in the fog; maybe the guy had a mask on or something and he'd spooked Bridgette. She might have run after noticing she was alone and vulnerable then found a hiding place in a hotel somewhere nearby. Ready to give up to start looking elsewhere, Nathan started back to the car. Halfway there, mid-stride, his cell phone started crackling with static mixed with other indecipherable sounds, halting his steps. The phone had never done such a thing in the past, so he drew it out of his pocket and started pressing each button with a frown that stated, 'I have no idea what I'm doing but that's never stopped me before'. Nothing short of turning the thing off seemed to help though, so that's what he did with a disgruntled grunt.

"Stupid, cheap ass piece of shit… Probably picking up a radio from somewhere, or something…Eh well, only paid ten bucks for it anyway so what can I expect right?"

He continued heading towards the car, then stopped again after hearing something strange above his head. The sound was reminiscent of enormous wings beating together, though nothing large or small appeared through the snow filled fog. Nathan frowned, his handsome face shadowed with uncertainty as he tightened his grip on the tire iron. He inched closer to the car, his eyes cast skyward, searching for anything out of the ordinary. The flapping got increasingly louder until Nathan was sure that whatever was making the sound would be right on top of him any moment.

"What the hell is that…" his voice was low and curious.

Nathan stopped moving, shifted the tire iron so that it sat in his hands like a familiar baseball bat would then after that he braced his feet. He was ready now. While he watched the sky the flapping was joined by an otherworldly squawk as a dark shape started diving at him from straight ahead. Whatever was coming at him swooped lower to the pavement, no doubt salivating at the thought of mowing him down and it screamed again. The ghastly sounds were coming from an oversized beak set on a body crafted in Hell. As it rushed towards Nathan he never hesitated; he swung the tire iron forward with all his God given might.

The sound of metal splitting bone cracked through the air and the flying atrocity spread its wings in a feeble attempt to glide to safety. Off balanced, it managed to swoosh over Nathan's head only to crash onto the pavement behind him with a wet thud along with a pathetic, pained squeal. Turning his head, eyes wide with surprise, a victorious grin took its rightful place along his lips once he spotted the downed creature. Lowering his bat, Nathan took a few slow steps closer.

"That's right you crazy ass bird, that'll teach you to fuckin' try and dive bomb a baseball legend…"

His triumphant mumbles were cut short as he caught full sight of exactly what he had struck. If bats were the size of dogs, didn't have any skin, were related to snakes and took daily baths in vats of grease then Nathan would have said that he just had an encounter with a bat. Unfortunately, no bat that he had ever heard of did any of those things… Taking another step closer, his curiosity an insatiable disease, Nathan leaned down to whisper,

"Man you're an ugly little shit…What the fuck _are_ you?"

Perhaps the monster understood him because just after the words left his mouth its long neck twisted around before it snapped at Nathan's foot with a large serrated beak, beady silver eyes intent on blood and vengeance. Nathan gave a surprised shout while jumping back just before his body part became a last meal to the beast.

"Shit, fuck! You ugly son of a _bitch_!"

Angry now, more at his own stupidity than at the monster's aggression, Nathan slammed the tire iron down onto the Sweeper's (as he had so elegantly decided to name it based on its downward sweep in his direction) head. It crunched and splattered beneath his blows, but he didn't quit until the creature stopped moving, even after the muscles in his arms protested. Out of breath, Nathan's eyes scanned over the bloody remains of his fallen foe; Bridgette was right, watch out for the monsters indeed…

He snapped back to reality then sprinted to the Volvo, running as if he had the hounds of Hell on his heels, which at this point he didn't doubt could happen. The car looked beautiful against the concealing fog and after jumping inside he locked the doors before leaning his forehead against the cold steering wheel, his thoughts a labyrinth of questions with impossible answers. Nathan's heart played a familiar drum solo against his ribcage; it was several minutes before he lifted his head again to dare a look out the window. Snow and pale fog still surrounded him on all sides, though there was no sign that the Sweeper had called for back up yet. No longer in sight of the corpse, Nathan wondered for a second if it had happened at all; one quick look at the tire iron erased his doubts though, curling his lip up in disgust. Blood along with chucks of flesh dripped down the sides and while Bridgette probably wouldn't be mad after his explanation, he moved it off of the passenger seat anyway then set it on the floor.

"Ok…" Nathan murmured as he scratched at his chin again, eyes still searching around the car for another attack, "Ok, I should call the cops, right? They can bring in the army or something; I mean, I bet that thing is just some failed science experiment; happens all the time, doesn't it? Bridge probably ran into it first, got the hell outta here and is hiding someplace now. I'll just call the cops and tell them that…that…fuck, that some creature belonging on the X-Files just fuckin' attacked me? Yeah right. Ok, scratch calling the cops; I'll just find Bridgette then I'm sure she can come up with something after that…"

Feeling a bit better now that a plan had formulated, Nathan pulled out his phone then turned it back on. _"Ohhhhh, Kyle's mom is a big fat bitch, she's the biggest bitch in the whole wide world…"_ The song fragment put a weak smile on Nathan's face as he pushed the button to open his message.

'**please tell me you're ok, there are monsters everywhere, where are you?'**

Realizing he forgot to answer his sister the first time, Nathan cursed himself softly, rushing to reply.

'**i'm ok, i'm in the car, can you get here?'**

He hit send then leaned back in the seat and kept his eyes peeled for trouble. Nothing stirred outside of the car though giving Nathan the impression that he was only witnessing the calm before the storm. Something was wrong with this town; he could feel it in his bones. The fog, the emptiness…none it felt like an accident, making his earlier notion that the creature he fought was only a science experiment feel untrue. The Sweeper had been intent on inflicting harm inspiring only one word he could find to describe it: evil. This whole place felt evil. _"Ohhhhh, Kyle's mom…"_ Nathan hit the accept button.

'**oh thank god! no, i can't go back up, but there's a tunnel here. i'll follow it and let you know where i am then. stay there'**

'**ok, be careful'**

Nathan threw the phone onto the passenger seat, rubbed his hands against his face then turned on the car. As the engine roared to life, the florescent green lights on the panel lit up, promising that midnight had come and gone even though the sun refused to admit such, either that or the earth seemed to feel above such petty laws as time. The atmosphere was still just as pale and gray as it had been earlier in the afternoon, though now the empty pit in Nathan's stomach assured him that dinnertime had passed without culinary satisfaction. Trying not to think about Mother Nature's revolt against logic, Nathan tried humming to keep himself distracted. The minor ploy to keep his mind untroubled worked wonderfully until the phone on the passenger seat began bubbling with static again.

Looking at the phone with a deep frown, Nathan was struck by déjà vu; this had happened before… He grabbed the phone, his distress growing as the static sputtered beneath his fingertips, ever increasing in volume. Knowing that if he turned the phone off he would miss Bridgette's messages, Nathan, simply muffled the sound with his coat sleeve before looking out the front windshield. The shadowy form hovering above the ground a few feet in front of the car got instant recognition.

"Aw fuck me…"


End file.
